Apparatus for preventing beer settling



D 1937- w. G. KOERBER 2,101,029

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING BEER SETTLING Filed Nov. 21, 1955 INVENTORPatented Dec. 7, rear UNETEB STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FORPREVENTING BEER SETTLING Application November 21, 1935, Serial No.50,823

for its object to provide means for improving the quality of beeravailable at the outlet thereof.

When draft beer isstored at some distance from the faucet it is wellknown that the pipes spanning the distance, known as the coil, becomecoated interiorly with a sediment. In other words, heavy particlessettle out-of the beer and deposit themselves on the walls of the coil.These particles soon impart a sour taste to the beer passingtherethrough. It is common practice to disconnect the coil and to cleanit about once a week but it can be readily understood that the qualityof the beer becomes progressively adulterated fromthe day the coil iscleaned until the next cleaning and that the sour taste becomesprogressively worse during that period.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a coil apparatussuch that the inside of the coil will be continuously clean for anindefinite period of time, thereby preserving the taste and quality ofthe beer until it reaches the customer.

A specific object of my invention is to provide a source of electricpower and to connect this source of power to the coil in such mannerthat heavy particles will not adhere thereto but will pass therethrough.Other objects and advantages will become hereinafter more fully apparentas reference is had to the accompanying drawing wherein my invention isillustrated and in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of myimproved dispensing equipment;

Fig. 2 is a section longitudinally through a pipe section taken alongthe line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken along the line 3-3 of'Fig. 2, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections showing the method of installing a conductorin the pipe section as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

l indicates a spigot attached to a coil 2 connected into a keg. orcontainer 3 for beer-by an insulating connection 4. The coil 2 isgenerally made of metal known as block tin which is a conductor ofelectricity. Interposed in this coil 2 at some-suitable point is a coilsection 5 of fiber, hard rubber or other nonconductive material. Withinthis section 5 is a metallic conductor sleeve 6 preferably made ofsilver. The section 5 has an internal groove 1 and an opening 8 throughthe wall so that a wire loop 9 may be inserted into the tube as shown inFigs. 4 and 5. The sleeve 6 which closely fits the interior of thesection 5 is forced into the section through the loop 9. The ends of theloop are then twisted at l0 and connected to a lead line from a lowvoltage generator II. The other lead line I2 is connected to theconductive sections of the coil 2 at l3. The coil 2 may be of veryconsiderable length in which case I recommend that the line l2 beconnected to the coil 2 at a plurality of points l5, l6, I1, l8, I9, 20because the coil material is rather a poor conductor.

The generator II is suitably connected to a suitable source ofalternating current. With the arrangement as indicated there is no,sediment anywhere in the coil 2 and this is true of that portion of thecoil externally of that length be- 15 tween the connections l6 and 20.

As will be understood, the arrangement of the flow-path for the beerpresents a number of characteristics. For instance, structurally, theline which carries the flow-path is made up of a 20 succession oftubular sections which are insulated from each other, the insulationbeing provided by the non-metallic section 5; thus the flow path isininterrupted. While section 5 is of insulating material, it carries theinternal tubu- 5 lar terminal, the ends of which are spaced from theends of the section, so that while the terminal is of-extended length,it does not extend to a point Where it could be considered as acontinuation of the sections 2 in providing a current fiow- 30 path; inother words, the sections are not only insulated from each otherstructurally, but are also insulated from each other electrically, butwith each section capable of being operatively connected with a sourceof electrical energy. 35 Since one side of the electrical circuit isconnected to the insulated section 5, with the other side connected tothe adjacent sections 2--thus providing conditions of opposite polarityas be+ tween theinsulated section and the adjacent sec- 40 tions-itcanbe understood that when the flowpath is empty the circuit is necessarilybroken. Hence, the circuit is and must be completed by the content ofthe flow-path.

These conditions provide certain definite char- 45 acteristics. The lineitself, although providing a continuous flow-path, is zonalin type,especially electrically, with the zones insulated from each other. Inthe zones, considered individually, there is no circuit characteristictransversely of 50 the flow path, and yet, in each zone there is atubular terminal characteristic of extended length and which must betraversed by the flowing content. Consequently; the completion of theelectrical circuit must be provided in the 55.

direction of length of the'flow-path instead of transversely of suchpath. And since the polarity of the intermediate zone 5 difiers fromthat of the adjacent zones 2, it can be understoodthat the direction offlow of the current through the path content is in one direction duringflow to the intermediate zone 5 and in the reverse direction afterleaving such zone, with this action taking place on a content whichflows in but one direction.

We thus have the conditions that the content when passing through thefirst of the sections 2, is being subjected to the action of currentflowing inthe same general direction (if of direct current type) withthe current flow in the opposite direction when in the second zone 2; ifof alternating current type, the fact that both zones 2 are of the samephase, provides a similar effect for each of the alternations. And sincethe current flow must pass within the content itself to complete thecircuit, and the terminals are themselves of extended length, it isevident that throughout the combined length of the successive sectionsthere is current flow through the content although it may vary as tovalue as the distance between points on the terminals varies.

There is thus present the condition that the content is flowing througha zone in which the polarity of the current is opposite that of thesucceeding zone, and that the conditions do not change while within thezone. Then follows the flow through the zone 5 where the oppositepolarity characteristic is present, and then through the second zone 2inwhich the original polarity status is present, but with the flow ofcurrent in the reverse direction. As a result the content of theflow-path is subjected to a succession of electrical 1 activities whichare individual to the zone but vary as between zones.

The effect of these activities on the content itself is found in thefact that it is unnecessary to provide the usual cleansing of coils thathas been necessary with the usualcoil structures, the

content remaining constant as to flavor, etc.,

after extended periods of service. i The detailed reasons for securingthe result have not been definitely determined, but it is evident thatthe usual deposits that have been previously found, are no longerpresent when the present invention is in service, so that the usualsettling of the content is prevented; whether it is by destroyingsediment, or by simply preventing its deposit, or some other efiectproduced, has not been definitely determined. What I claim is: 1. Thecombination of a storage container for beer, a beer delivery meansremote irom said bontainer, a tube connecting said container and saiddelivery means, said tube being composed or metallic sections with anon-metallic sectionlnt erposed therebetween, an electric terminal internally of said non-metallic section in spaced-rein:

tion with said metallic sections, and electric lines electric linesconnected to a source of electrical energy, one of said lines beingconnected to said conductor, the other of said lead lines beingconnected to both of said metallic sections.

3. In beer dispensing apparatus, and in combination, a storagecontainer, a dispensing means remote from said container, a coilconnecting the container and said dispensing means, said coil includingsuccessive linear zones providing a continuous flow-path for the contentthrough the coil but with one zone insulated from the adjacent zoneswith said 'zone carrying an internallyexposed electrode in insulatedrelation to the remaining zones of the coil, and means-for connectingsaid coil to a source of electrical energy, the connections beingoperative to connect the electrode to one'side of the electrical supplyand with an adjacent zone of the coil operatively connected to theopposite side of the line.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 characterized, in

that the connections for the zones before and after theelectrode-carrying insulated zone are of the same polarity.

5. Apparatus as in claim 3 characterized in that the connections for theadjacent zones are at spaced points in the length of such zones but ofsimilar polarity throughoutthe length of such zones.

6. As an article of manufacture, a beer coil composed of spaced linearmetallic sections with a non-metallic linear section within the spacingsof the metallic sections and completing the flowpath through the coil,electrical terminal means internally of the non-metallic section andinsulated from the remaining sections, and means for connecting thecircuit lines of a source of electrical energy to said sections, saidmeans being arranged to operatively connect the metallic sec- .tions toone side of the line and the internal terthe inside walls of a beerdelivery line which con- .sists in establishing a linear flow-path forthe beer through the line with the flow path presenting successive andspaced linear zone characteristics, and subjecting the flowing beer tothe action of a source of electrical energy while passing through thesuccession of zones with the energy of adjacent zones oi oppositepolarity.

WILIJAM G. KOERBER.

